Clothes drying machine



May 21, 1957 ,7. F. PATTERSON 2,792,640

CLOTHES DRYING MACHINES Filed Dec. 3, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Char/es ZFPa/ferson & W lam/5 May 21, 1957 c. F. PATTERSON 2,792,640

CLOTHES DRYING MACHINES Filed Dec. 3, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. U/2ar/es FPafierson nited States Patent 2,792,640 Patented May 21, 1957 CLOTHES DRYING MACHINE Charles F. Patterson, Wilmette, Ill., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 3, 1954, Serial No. 472,970 16 Claims. (Cl. 34-75) The present invention relates to clothes drying 1n..- chines, and more particularly to such machines of the enclosed moisture-condensing home-laundry type.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide in a clothes drying machine of the enclosed moisturecondensing home-laundry type, an improved arrangement of themoisture-condensing facility so that a better utilization is made of both the spray of cool water in the condensing chamber and the cool wet surfaces of the condensing chamber in achieving condensation of the moisture evaporated from the clothes contained in the rotating drum incorporated in the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a clothes drying machine of the enclosed moisture-condensing home-laundry type, an improved arrangement of the condensing chamber so that it is disposed between the rear end wall of the rotating drum and the rear end Wall of the enclosing casing incorporated in the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a clothes drying machine of the character described, an improved arrangement for introducing cool water into the condensing chamber so that a thin sheet of cool water is flowed over the drum rear end wall or over the casing rear end Wall or over both of the rear end walls mentioned in order to effect efiicient condensation of the moisture in the condensing chamber thereby effecting rapid drying of the clothes in the rotating drum.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a clothes drying machine of the character described, an improved arrangement of the condensing system incorporating a rotatable target disposed in the condensing chamber between the drum rear end wall and the casing rear end wall, whereby the rotating target not only facilitates the production of the spray of cool water in the condensing chamber, but provides additional surface area therein over which thin sheets of cool water flow, so as substantially to increase the effective condensing area in contact with the hot moist air in the condensing chamber.

Further features of the invention pertain to the particular arrangement of the elements of the clothes drying machine, whereby the above-outlined and additional operating features thereof are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and principle of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a lateral vertical sectional view of a clothes drying machine of the enclosed moisture-condensing home-laundry type, taken in the direct-ion of the arrows along the line 1--l in Fig. 2, and embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal substantially vertical sectional view of the machine, taken in the direction of the arrows along the olfset line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a first modification of the machine ofFigs. land 2;-

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary lateral vertical sectional view of the first modified form of the machine, taken in the direction of the arrows along the ofiset line 4-4 in Fig. 3, illustrating the arrangement of a plurality of impeller vanes carried by the rotatable target incorporated in this machine;

Fig. 5 is fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, illustrating a second modification of the machine of Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary lateral vertical sectional view of the second modified form of the machine, taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 6-6 in Fig. 5, illus' trating the structure of the rotatable target incorporated in this machine.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the clothes drying machine It there illustrated, and embodying the features of the present invention, is of the enclosed moisture-condensing home-laundry type, comprising an outer substantially box-like housing 11, including front and rear walls 12 and 13, the front wall 12 being provided with a substantially centrally disposed front access opening 14 therein that is provided with a cooperating front door 15, the front door 15 being movable into open and closed positions with respect to the front opening 14 by hinge mechanism, not shown. Arranged Within the housing it is a substantially drum-like imperforate casing 16 that includes a substantially tubular side wall 17 and front and rear end walls 18 and 19, the front Wall 19 being provided with a substantially centrally disposed front access opening 26 therein that is arranged in registry with the front access opening 14- provided. in the front wall 12 of the housing It.

Arranged within the casing 16 is a drum 21 including a substantially tubular perforated side wall 22 and front and rear imperforate walls 23 and 24, a substantially centrally disposed front access opening 25 being provided in the front Wall 23 in registry with the front access openlugs 29 and 14, respectively provided in the front wall 18 of the casing 16 and in the front wall 12 of the housing 11. The drum 21 is adapted to receive the clothes to be dried and is mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis by an arrangement including a shaft 26 fixed to the rear wall 24 and journalled in a bearing carried by a bearing bracket 27 supported by the rear wall 19 of the casing 16. More particularly, the rear wall 24 of the drum 21 is of double-wall construction including inner and outer sheets 28 and 29, the inner sheet 23 being substantially conical and forwardly directed, and the outer sheet 29 being substantially conical and rearwardly directed so as to provide an insulating air chamber 30 therebetween, whereby the drum 21 is supported upon the front end of the shaft 26 by the inner and outer sheets 28 and 29. The intermediate portion of the shaft 26 is journall-ed in the bearing carried by the bracket 2'7, and as previously noted, and a pulley 31 is carried on the extreme rear end of the shaft 26.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the casing 16 may be supported within the housing 11 upon a pair of upwardly directed feet 32 carried by the bottom wall of the housing 11; and as indicated in Fig. 2, the walls 17, 18 and 19 of the casing 16 respectively carry blankets of heat-insulating material 33, 34 and 35; which blankets 33, 34 and 35 may be formed of glass fiber, or the like. The lowermost portion of the tubular side wall 17 of the casing 16 is downwardly dished and terminates in a drain sump 36 that is connected by a conduit 37 to the inlet of a drain pump 38, the outlet of the drain pump 38 being connected by a drain conduit 39 to the exterior. Also, an electric motor 40 is arranged within the lower right-hand portion of the housing 11 exteriorly of the casing 16 and provided with two pulleys carrying two belts 41a and 41b respectively arranged in driving relation with the pulley 31 carried 3 the shaft 26 and with a pulley carried by the shaft of the drain pump 38, whereby operation of the motor 40 effects rotation of the drum 21 and operation of the drain pump 38.

The casing side wall 17 and the drum side wall 22 are arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a substantially annular chamber 42 therebetween and communicating with the interior of the drum 21 through the perforations in the drum side wall 22. The casing rear end wall 19 and the drum rear end wall 24 are disposed in substantially upstanding positions and in spaced-apart relation to define an upstanding chamber 43 therebetween and communicating with the chamber 42. As best shown in Fig. 1, a cool water inlet nozzle 46 is arranged in the upper right-hand portion of the housing 11 exteriorly of the casing 16 and directed radially toward the axis of rotation of the drum 21 and aligned with respect to a substantially funnel-like bafiie 4'7 projecting through an opening provided in the adjacent portion of the tubular side wall 17 of the casing 16. The nozzle 46 is connected to a cool water supply conduit 48 and so arranged that cool water may be projected therefrom through an air gap and thence through the hollow baffle 47 onto the outer sheet 29 of the drum rear end wall 24, a solenoidcontrolled valve 49 being arranged in the conduit 48 for the purpose of selectively controlling the delivery of cool water to the nozzle 46. As indicated in Fig. 2, the stream of cool water impinging upon the rotating outer sheet 29 is broken-up thereby into a finely divided spray Within the chamber 43, and is also deflected onto the casing rear end wall 19.

Finally, a number of tumbling vanes 51 are arranged within the drum 21 and carried by the interior surface of the perforated tubular side wall 22 so as to insure adequate tumbling of the clothes incident to rotation of the drum; and a heating element is arranged in the upper lefthand portion of the chamber 42 adjacent to the tubular side wall 17 of the casing 16 and exteriorly of the tubular side wall 22 of the drum 21 and in heat exchange relation with respect thereto.

Considering now the overall operation of the machine 11!, when the front door 15 occupies its open position, the clothes to be dried are placed through the registering front access openings 14, 2t) and 25 into the drum 21; whereupon the front door 15 is closed and operation of the machine is initiated. At this point, it is noted that the machine 10 comprises an electric control circuit, not shown, that may be substantially conventional and may incorporate a timer, not shown, that may be selectively set for the purpose of controlling the time duration of the operating cycle of the machine 11 When operation of the machine 10 is thus initiated, operation of the timer mentioned is initiated, operation of the electric motor 40 is initiated, energization of the electric heater 52 is initiated and the solenoid of the control valve 49 is energized. The operating motor 40 effects rotation of the drum 21 in the counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, whereby the clothes contained therein are tumbled in the usual manner; and the drain pump 38 is operated to remove to the exterior the water and the condensate accumulating in the sump 36, as explained more fully hereinafter. When the electric heater 52 is thus energized, it becomes hot effecting heating of the tubular side wall 22 of the rotating drum 21 and the consequent heating of the clothes tumbling therein, whereby the moisture contained in the clothes is evaporated therefrom and passes into the chamber 42 and thence into the chamber 43. When the solenoid of the valve 49 is thus energized, the valve 49 is operated into its open position so that the cool water is delivered from the water conduit 48 to the nozzle 46 and projected through the hollow baffle 47 onto the outer sheet 29 of the drum rear end wall 24, whereby thestream of cool water is broken-up into a finely divided spray within the chamber 43 and also flows in thin sheets over both the outer sheet 24 and the casing rear end wall 19, whereby the moisture water supply 29 of the drum rear end wall through the in the air in the chamber 43 is condensed therefrom so that the water and the condensate fall through the chamber 43 and accumulate in the sump 36 and are removed to the exterior by the operation of the drain pump 38. Since the casing 16 is of the enclosed type, any lint in the air circulated therein is removed therefrom along with the moisture by this spray of cool Water and by the cool wet surfaces in the condensing chamber 43, whereby the condensate and the lint and the water are removed by the drain pump 38 to the exterior.

to the arrangement, the double-wall construction 2829 of the drum rear end wall 24 prevents material cooling of the inner sheet 28 in contact with the clothes tumbling in the drum 21, thereby to prevent the condensation of moisture within the drum 21. However, the thin sheets of cool water that are flowed over the outer sheet 29 of the drum rear end wall 24 and over the casing rear end wall 19 increase the effective area of the wet cool surfaces of the condensing chamber 43 and bring about the condensation of moisture from the air passing into the chamber 4-3 and the removal of lint therefrom. Thus, in the chamber 43, the warm moist air is subjected to condensation both by the spray of cool water therein and by the cool wet boundary walls thereof.

At the conclusion of the operating cycle, operation of the electric motor 40 is arrested, and the electric heater 52 and the solenoid of the control valve 49 are deenergized, thereby arresting operation of the machine 10 in an obvious manner. At this time, any water dripping from the nozzle 46 is caught by the hollow baflle 47 and directed into the casing 16 so that it may be subsequently discharged to drain in the next cycle of operation of the machine 10.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, a first modified form of the machine is illustrated; which machine 100 is fundamentally of the same construction as the machine 10, whereby corresponding reference characters are employed to identify corresponding elements. In the machine 106, only the central portion of the drum rear end wall 124 is of the doublewall construction previously described and including the inner and outer sheets 128 and 129; and a separate disklike target 161 is arranged within the chamber 143 in surrounding relation with respect to the shaft 126 and disposed between the drum rear end wall 124 and the casing rear end wall 119. More particularly, the substantially disk-like target 161 is provided with a rearwardly dished rim 162 and may be secured to the drum rear end wall 124 by an annular series of radially extending vanes 163, as best shown in Fig. 4. In this arrangement, an annular series of holes 128a are formed in the inner sheet 128 and an annular series of holes 129a are formed in the outer sheet 129 so as to accommodate the circulation of air from the interior of the drum 121 holes 128a and 129a into the chamber 143. Also, in the machine 100, the hollow baifie 147 is secured in place in an opening provided in the casing rear end wall 119 in cooperating relation with respect to the rear surface of the target 161.

In the operation of the machine 100, when the drum 121 is rotated, the vanes force the air radially from the chamber 143 by fan action, whereby the air within the drum 121 proceeds through the holes 128a and 129a into the space between the drum rear end Wall 124 and the target 161; the air is then forced from the space mentioned into the chamber 143 and proceeds into the chamber 142 (the annular space between the tubular casing side wall 117 and the tubular drum side wall 122), and then proceeds through the perforations in the drum tubular side wall 122 back into the interior of the drum 121. The stream of cool water that is projected through the hollow bafile 147 onto the rear surface of the target 141 not only cools the target 141, but is also deflected upon the casing rear end wall 119, and is further broken up into a finely divided spray of cool water within the chamber 143, thereby providing cool wet surfaces within the chamber 143. The moisture contained in the warm air passing through the chamber 143 is not only cooled by the action of the spray of cool water, but also by the action of the cool wet surfaces bounding the chamber 143.

The general mode of operation of the machine 100 is otherwise substantially identical to that of the machine 10 and is not repeated in the interest of brevity.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, a second modified form of the machine 200 is illustrated, which machine 200 is fundamentally of the same construction as the machine 10, whereby corresponding reference characters are employed to identify corresponding elements. In the machine 200, the target 260 is carried by the drum rear end wall 224 of the rotatable drum 221 by a plurality of brackets 263 extending therebetween, and essentially comprises an inner ring 260a carrying a plurality of radially outwardly extending arms 2601) and a pair of foraminous members or screens 260s disposed on opposite sides of the arms 26019. In this arrangement, the brackets 263 may extend between the inner ring 260a and the outer sheet 229 of the drum rear end wall 224. Accordingly, the target 260 is hollow and the stream of water from the nozzle, not shown, is projected through the hollow bafile 247 radially inwardly into the space between the foraminous members 2660, whereby the rotating arms 260!) breakup the stream of water into a finely divided spray disposed in the space between the screens 260e, elfecting both the production of a spray of cool water in the chamber 243 and wetting of the surfaces of the screens 2600 for the purpose previously explained. This arrangement is very advantageous as the water is highly distributed in the interstices of the screens 2600 producing an. effectively increased area of cool wet surfaces within the chamber 243 that are in contact with the moist air for the condensing purpose, as previously explained.

The general mode of operation of the machine 200 is otherwise substantially identical to that of the machine 10 and is not repeated in the interest of brevity.

In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided in a clothes drying machine of the enclosed moisture-condensing home-laundry type, an improved arrangement of the condensing chamber and the condensing water system, whereby the condensing chamber is disposed between the rear end wall of the rotatable drum and the rear end wall of the enclosing casing, thereby making an economical utilization of this otherwise wasted space and accommodating a reduction in the size and configuration of the tubular side wall of the enclosing casing so as materially to contribute toward compactness of the machine and rapid drying of the clothes as they r are tumbled in the drum.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A clothes drying machine comprising a drum including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and adapted to receive and to tumble the clothes to be dried, a substantially imperforate casing including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and enclosing said drum, said casing side wall and said drum side wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to definea first substantially annular chamber 'therebetween, said casing rear end wall and said drum rear end wall being arranged in spaced apart relation to define a second upstanding chamber therebetween, means including a heating element arranged in the upper portion of said first chamber for heating said drum side wall in order to evaporate mois-:

ture from the clothes in said drum, said first chamber.

casing rear end Wall so that two thin sheets of cool Waterrespectively flow downwardly thereover and into direct contact with the hot moisture-laden air in said second chamber in order to effect cooling thereof and the consequent condensation of moisture therefrom, means including a sump formed in the lower portion of said casing side wall for accumulating the water and the condensate from said second chamber, a pump operative to remove to the exterior the water and the condensate accumulating in said sump, and a motor for rotating said drum and for operating said pump.

2. A clothes drying machine comprising a drum including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and adapted to receive and to tumble the clothes to be dried, a substantially imperforate casing including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and enclosing said drum, said casing side wall and said drum side wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a first substantially annular chamber therebetween, said casing rear end wall and said drum rear end wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a second upstanding chamber therebetween, means including a heating element arranged in the upper portion of said first chamber for heating said drum side wall in order to evaporate moisture from theclothes in said drum, said first chamber commonly communicating with the interior of said drum and with said second chamber and accommodating the passage of hot moisture-laden air from the interior of said drum into said second chamber, means including a water inlet conduit for introducing cool water into the upper portion of said second chamber and for directing the same onto said drum rear end wall so that a thin sheet of cool water flows downwardly thereover and into direct contact with the hot moisture-laden air in said second chamber in order to elfect cooling thereof and the consequent condensation of moisture therefrom, means including a sump formed in the lower portion of said casing side wall for accumulating the water and the condensate from said second chamber, a pump operative to remove to the exterior the water and the condensate accumulating in said sump, and a motor for rotating said drum and for operating said pump.

3. The clothes drying machine set forth in claim 2, wherein said drum rear end wall is of double-wall construction including inner and outer sheets disposed in spaced-apart relation, said thin sheet of cool water flows over said outer sheet, the clothes in said drum are in contact with said inner sheet, and the space between said sheets serves to insulate said sheets from each other so as to minimize condensation of moisture within said drum.

4. A clothes drying machine comprising a drum in cluding a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and adapted to receive and to tumble the clothes to be dried, at substantially imperforate casing including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and enclosing said drum, said casing side wall and said drum side wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a first substantially annular chamber therebetween, said casing rear end wall and said drum rear end wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a second upstanding chamber therebetween, said first chamber commonly communicating with said second chamber and with the interior of said drum, means including a heating element arranged in the upper portion of said first chamber for heating said drum side wall in order to evaporate moisture from the clothes in said drum, means including a water inlet conduit for producing a spray of cool water in the upper portion of said second chamber directed downwardly therein and onto both said drum rear end wall and said casing rear end wall so that aside from the spray of cool water in said second chamber two thin sheets of cool water respectively flow over said drum rear end wall and said casing rear end wall effecting cooling thereof in order to condense in said second chamber the moisture evaporated from the clothes in said drum, means including a sump formed in the lower portion of said casing side wall for accumulating the water and the condensate from said second chamber, a pump operative to remove to the exterior the water and the condensate accumulating in said sump, and a motor for rotating said drum and for operating said pump.

5. A clothes drying machine comprising a drum including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and adapted to receive and to tumble the clothes to be dried, a substantially imperforate casing including a substantially tubular side Wall and a connecting rear end wall and enclosing said drum, said casing side wall and said drum side wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a first substantially annular chamber thcrebetween, said casing rear end wall and said drum rear end wall being arranged in spacedapart relation to define a second upstanding chamber therebetween, said first chamber commonly communicating with said second chamber and with the interior of said drum, means including a heating element arranged in the upper portion of said first chamber for heating said drum side wall in order to evaporate moisture from the clothes in said drum, an upstanding target arranged in said second chamber and mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis, means including a water inlet conduit for introducing cool Water into said second chamber into wetting relation with said target in order to condense the moisture evaporated from the clothes in said drum, means including a sump formed in the lower portion of said casing side wall for accumulating the water and the condensate from said second chamber, and a motor for rotating said drum and for rotating said target and for operating said pump.

6. The clothes drying machine set forth. in claim 5, wherein said target comprises an upstanding substantially disk-like structure.

7. The clothes drying machine set forth in claim 5, wherein said target comprises an upstanding substantially disk-like structure carried by said drum rear end wall and rotatable therewith.

8. The clothes drying machine set forth in claim 5, wherein said target comprises an upstanding substantially disk-like structure consisting essentially of a pair of closely spaced-apart foraminous members.

9. A clothes drying machine comprising a drum including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and adapted to receive and to tumble the clothes to be dried, a substantially imperforate casing including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and enclosing said drum, said casing side wall and said drum side wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a first substantially annular chamber therebetween, said casing rear end wall and said drum rear endwall being arranged in spacedapart relation to define a second upstanding chamber therebetween, said first chamber commonly communicating with said second chamber and with the interior of said drum, means including vaheating element arranged in theupper portion of said first chamber for heating said drum side wall in order to evaporate moisture from the clothes in said drum, an upstanding substantially disklike target arranged in said second chamber in spacedapart relation with both said drum rear end wall and said casing rear end wall and carried by said drum rear end wall for rotation therewith, means including a water inlet conduit for projecting cool Water into wetting relation with said target in order to condense the moisture evaporated from the clothes in said drum, means including a sump formed in the lower portion of said casing side wall for accumulating the water and the condensate from said second chamber, a pump operative to remove to the exterior the water and the condensate accumulating in said sump, and a motor for rotating said drum and for operating said pump.

10. A clothes drying machine comprising a drum including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and mounted for rotation about a sub stantially horizontal axis and adapted to receive and to tumble the clothes to be dried, a substantially imperferate casing including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and enclosing said drum, said casing side wall and said drum side wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a first substantially annular chamber therebetween, said casing rear end wall and said drum rear end Wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a second upstanding chamber therebetween, said first chamber commonly communicating with said second chamber and with the interior of said drum, means including a heating element arranged in the upper portion of said first chamber for heating said drum side wall in order to evaporate moisture from the clothes in said drum, an upstanding substantially disk-like target arranged in said second chamber in spaced-apart relation with both said drum rear end Wall and said casing rear end Wall and carried by said drum rear end wall for rotation therewith, means including a water inlet conduit for projecting cool water into wetting relation with both said casing rear end wall and said target in order to condense the moisture evaporated from the clothes in said drum, means including a sump formed in the lower portion of said casing side wall for accumulating the water and the condensate from said second chamber, a pump operative to remove to the exterior the water and the condensate accumulating in said sump, and a motor for rotating said drum and for operating said pump.

11. A clothes drying machine comprising a drum including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and adapted to receive and to tumble the clothes to be dried, a substantially imperforate casing including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and enclosing said drum, said casing side wall and said drum side wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a first substantially annular chamber therebetween, said casing rear end wall and said drum rear end wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a second upstanding chamber therebetween, said first and second chambers communicating with each other, said drum side wall being perforated to afford communication between the interior of said drum and said first chamber, said drum end wall having openings therein to afiord communication between the interior of said drum and said second chamber, means including vanes carried by said drum end wall and arranged in said second chamber for effecting circulation of air incident to rotation of said drum from said first chamber into the interior of said drum and then into said second chamber and back into said first chamber, means including a heating element arranged in the upper portion of said first chamber for heating the air passing therethrough in order to effect evaporation of moisture from the clothes in said drum, means including a water inlet conduit for introducing cool water into said second chamber in order to condense the moisture from the air passing therethrough, means including a sump formed in the lower portion of said casing side wall for accumulating the water and the condensate from said second chamber, a pump operative to remove to the exterior the water and the condensate accumulating in said sump, and a motor for rotating said drum and for operating said pump.

12. A clothes drying machine comprising a drum including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and mounted for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis and adapted to receive and to tumble the clothes to be dried, a substantially imperforate casing including a substantially tubular side wall and a connecting rear end wall and enclosing said drum, said casing side wall and said drum side wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a first substantially annular chamber therebetween, said casing rear end wall and said drum rear end wall being arranged in spaced-apart relation to define a second upstanding chamber therebetween, said first and second chambers communicating with each other, said drum side wall being perforated to afford communication between the interior of said drum and said first chamber, said drum end wall having openings therein to afford communication between the interior of said drum and said second chamber, an upstanding plate arranged in said second chamber in spaced-apart relation with both said drum rear end wall and said casing rear end wall, means including a plurality of vanes arranged between said drum rear end wall and said plate and mounting said plate for rotation therewith, said vanes effecting circulation of air incident to rotation of said drum from said first chamber into the interior of said drum and then into said second chamber and back into said first chamber, means including a heating element arranged in the upper portion of said first chamber for heating the air passing there-through in order to effect evaporation of moisture from the clothes in said drum, means including a water inlet conduit for introducing cool water into said second chamber in order to condense the moisture from the air passing therethrough, means including a sump formed in the lower portion of said casing side wall for accumulating the water and the condensate from said second chamber, a pump operative to remove to the exterior the water and the condensate accumulating in said sump, and a motor for rotating said drum and for operating said pump.

13. The clothes drying machine set forth in claim 12, wherein the water introduced into said second chamber is projected onto said plate to produce incident to rotation thereof both a cool wet surface thereon and a spray of cool water in said second chamber.

14. The clothes drying machine set forth in claim 13, wherein the water projected onto said plate is projected onto the surface thereof facing said casing rear end wall to produce a thin sheet of cool water flowing thereover.

15. The clothes drying machine set forth in claim 5, wherein said target carries structure serving both to impel air in said second chamber and to break-up the water introduced into wetting relation therewith.

, 16. The clothes drying machine set forth in claim 15, wherein said structure includes a number of 'angularly spaced-apart blade-like members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,496,517 Bradley Feb. 7, 1950 2,555,821 Smith June 5, 1951 2,680,915 Smith June 15, 1954 2,724,905 Zehrbach Nov. 29, 1955 

